Making hay

This job is likely the most stressful endeavor on our farm. Hot, muggy weather, timing between rainstorms, old farm equipment, and the need for extra muscle lead to a sense of relief and satisfaction when the barn is filled with hay. We choose to make extra small square bales that are easier for us to manage in the winter.

Our hay field is a mix of native warm season grasses with an embarrassing amount of sericia lespedeza (invasive species). Fortunately, the sericia is a legume and thus a source of protein, and is high in tannins, which have been shown to reduce the worm load in ruminants!